AT THE WATER COOLER: No. 4 Florida is playing as good as any team in the country — riding a 15-game winning streak and looking the part as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

But now it's crunch time for the Gators (21-2, 10-0) with a pair of pivotal road tests on tap this week, starting with tonight's matchup vs. Tennessee (7 p.m., ESPN). Florida's lost 8 of their past 10 trips to Knoxville. Then Saturday pits the Gators against Kentucky at Lexington, where they've lost six in a row.

"Just because we've done well on the road up to this point in time, it doesn't necessarily mean that continues," Florida coach Billy Donovan said yesterday on the SEC weekly teleconference. "You have to play well. It takes you and your entire team being focused. ...We are going to have to perform and play very, very well."

The Gators' last loss came on Dec. 2 in a one-point decision vs. UConn. Billy Donovan's group has found ways to win even when shots aren't falling, limiting opponents to less than 58 points per game. This team's greatest strength has to be its depth, though, and it's shown when the team have been at full health. The eligibility of highly-touted freshman Chris Walker, an athletic springy forward, only gives Florida extra firepower to cause opponents headaches.

BEST BET TONIGHT: No. 18 Michigan and No. 20 Ohio State will almost certainly see their names on the bracket when it is unveiled on March 16. But their encounter tonight in Columbus (9 p.m. ET, ESPN) could have a hand in determining just how high the Wolverines and Buckeyes will be on the seed line. Throw in the fact that there's a bit of a rivalry between these institutions, and all the elements are there for an electric atmosphere. Michigan, despite being outgunned by Iowa in its last outing, has bolstered its position during league play. The Buckeyes by contrast have struggled since Big Ten competition began, though they have strung three wins together and appear to be back on course. Nik Stauskas hasn't found many open looks of late. That isn't likely to change if he is opposed by Aaron Craft., so Glenn Robinson III must make his presence known. Ohio State relies on keeping the pace under control, but a quick start by LaQuinton Ross would help to get the home crowd engaged.

ALSO ON DECK: A look at the rest of the marquee matchups to watch tonight. All times Eastern.

— Southern Illinois at No. 2 Wichita State (8 p.m.)

— No. 6 San Diego State at Wyoming (11 p.m., ESPNU)

— Oklahoma State at No. 19 Texas (7 p.m., ESPN2)

— Wake Forest at North Carolina State (7 p.m., ESPNU)

— Marquette at Seton Hall (7 p.m., FOX Sports 1)

— Xavier at Butler (9 p.m., FOX Sports 1)

— Ole Miss at Alabama (9 p.m., ESPNU)

— Utah State at Colorado (9:15 p.m., CBS Sports Network)

NUMBER OF THE DAY: 31.6. Oklahoma State will be missing a lot while Marcus Smart serves his three-game suspension. Perhaps the most important hole to fill will be the 31.6 minutes he averages while stuffing the stat sheet with 17.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.3 steals. The Cowboys, already in a tailspin before Saturday night's unfortunate incident at Texas Tech, won't garner much sympathy tonight at No.19 Texas (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2). The Longhorns will be in need of a bounce-back performance themselves after the drubbing they absorbed Saturday at Kansas State.

WORDS OF THE DAY: "I'm surprised that anybody can win 20 in a row, no matter what league they're playing in. ... I think all of us are going in expecting to win, but knowing that life, especially on the road, will be very difficult and sometimes you've got to get lucky. And we've been lucky a few times." — San Diego State coach Steve Fisher on his fifth-ranked Aztecs' 20-game winning streak. They'll go for their 21st tonight at Wyoming (11 p.m. ET, ESPNU), a destination that is often troublesome for SDSU.

DAYS UNTIL SELECTION SUNDAY: 33.

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Scott Gleeson, a national college basketball writer/digital producer for USA TODAY Sports, is on Twitter @ScottMGleeson.

Eddie Timanus, a colleges sports writer and the polls editor for USA TODAY Sports, is on Twitter @EddieTimanus.